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Chapter 7
Detective Games Aren’t Fun
Maybe the little ones were just excited because something new was happening.
“Alrighty then.”
I felt as if colorful musical notes and flower petals were swirling around the children.
“Hmm, if they run like that, they won’t make it.”
I watched the backs of Ronowe and Berys as they ran ahead, making a udadadada sound.
“The library’s farther than you think.”
“It’s fine.”
What’s that supposed to mean? I glanced at Carlisle walking beside me with a puzzled look.
“Oh.”
Then I immediately understood.
“I… can’t keep up.”
The Fleur siblings, whom I thought had steel-like stamina, had fallen behind in an instant.
“So they won’t make it all the way.”
Kids, as expected. I decided to walk slowly.
“Huh?”
But I kept feeling eyes on the back of my head. I stopped and glanced back.
“….”
There were the two assigned maids, fidgeting nervously.
Sigh.
They looked pitiful, so I gestured for them to come closer.
“Your Highness, we’ll carry you. In our arms…”
I think they misunderstood that I wanted them to hug me.
“I’m fine. I’ll go on my own.”
I was tired of being treated like a child.
“Take care of the kids instead.”
I sighed and pointed at Ronowe and Berys, who had collapsed onto the ground.
“Yes, Your Highness.”
The two maids each picked up one of the siblings.
“We’ll wait here.”
Soon after we arrived at the study, the maids said they would wait near the entrance.
I nodded and accepted Carlisle’s escort.
“Our library is huge!”
“Wow~ so many books!”
Ronowe and Berys seemed completely rejuvenated, as if they hadn’t been tired at all.
“Sis, come quickly!”
“Come with me~”
The Fleur siblings’ big sparkling eyes and excited voices made them completely absorbed in exploring the library.
“Anyway, the answers I want aren’t in the library.”
I watched Ronowe and Berys hopping around.
“I already looked here first in my previous life.”
I sighed.
“I guess I’ll play with them a bit and then leave.”
Since we weren’t the only ones in the spacious library, I made sure to warn the kids not to cause too much commotion.
“Devil, devil!”
“Where? I want to see too!”
As I quietly followed the Fleur siblings with Carlisle, they suddenly stopped in front of a picture frame depicting angels and demons.
“Angels fight devils later. Bad devil!”
“Can’t you see the angel hitting the devil?”
Ronowe and Berys began arguing.
“Devils torment people, so angels punish them.”
“No! Not all devils hurt people! Some are good devils!”
“No! Devils always cause trouble for me!”
My head went blank. I could feel the curious gazes of others around us.
“How do you know? Angels can cause trouble too!”
“Then how do you know, sis?”
Watching them shove each other and bicker gave me a headache.
Sigh, what a nuisance…
I slapped my forehead. I couldn’t understand why these little brats were fighting all of a sudden.
“Not everything visible is good! So even bad angels must exist! It’s in the book Boundary of Good and Evil!”
“No!”
“You fool! Are you smarter than the scholar Rop de Zaniata?”
At that moment, Ronowe suddenly yelled in frustration.
How does he even know about that book?
I was shocked.
It’s not a book for children to read.
My mind was full of question marks. The way Ronowe spoke so clearly and precisely made him seem not like a child at all—like someone just wearing the disguise of a little girl.
“Don’t call me a fool…”
Before I could calm my racing heart, Berys sniffled.
Don’t fight… it’s annoying.
I endured the throbbing headache and sensed someone peeking at us.
I immediately met the person’s gaze, signaling with a cold gesture that if they kept staring, there would be consequences.
“Ahem.”
Not stupid after all, the person who had been spying cleared their throat and quickly moved away.
“Stop fighting. Be quiet in the library. Now make up.”
“Sorry for getting angry.”
“Sorry for calling you a fool too.”
I glanced at the kids again, and Carlisle had already reconciled them.
Phew, saved.
I continued walking around the library with the children.
My body isn’t what it used to be.
Even climbing onto a single chair left me panting, making me feel a little gloomy.
Are those two never tired?
I watched as Ronowe and Berys wandered around with Carlisle.
They just keep moving endlessly.
Since Carlisle was watching over them, I figured the Fleur siblings would be fine.
“What are you standing around for?”
Still, I couldn’t focus on the books and kept watching the kids.
“It says 101 Ways to Get a Confession from Someone You Like♥.”
“Ways to get a confession?”
“Read it!”
Surely they wouldn’t read something so embarrassing aloud. I was certain they’d refuse.
“…If you do this, then next, try that. Then after that…”
But Carlisle surprised me.
“If… happens, then… and then…”
He read the content clearly and then closed the book.
“This is roughly what it says.”
“Too hard!”
“Exactly.”
“Make it simpler!”
The Fleur siblings said they didn’t understand.
“Protagonists Linda and Logan kissed on the bridge.”
“Big brother, have you kissed before?”
“Does kissing mean winning?”
The bold little ones bombarded Carlisle with questions.
“Uh…”
Carlisle blushed and hesitated.
“…Honestly, I don’t really know either.”
“What?!”
“Nonsense~.”
“I thought big brother would know because you’re smart.”
Even a general-in-training is still a child.
I quickly looked away as the kids approached.
“Nonsense~ Nonsense~.”
I actually liked the sound of the word “nonsense” that the Fleur children muttered.
“Nonsense,” huh? Nice ring to it.
From now on, their nickname would be Nonsense. Carlisle aside, I decided to call Ronowe and Berys that.
Speaking of marriage… bad memories are coming back.
Suddenly, I remembered my past life.
Oh, Sun of the Empire!
Go home.
When I was emperor in my previous life, ministers were obsessed with interfering in my marriage. Those I barely remembered faked love for me to gain power.
Many tried to use my son to form connections.
Your Majesty!
Go home!
The common factor among them was they never asked my opinion.
Well, for royalty, marriage is…
Not a choice, but a duty.
I snorted at the bitter memory.
But my heart…
Even as a commoner, I was forced into marriage once.
Becoming the wife of a drunkard was such a hardship!
I remembered clearly the struggles of trying to straighten out the mind of someone singing for alcohol.
This life, as a princess, I’ll likely argue about marriage again.
I sighed quietly with the kids nearby.
I have to find the answer before that…
Suddenly, fatigue washed over me.
Ugh…
Unable to resist sleepiness, I collapsed face-first onto the table.
“….”
In my drowsiness, I felt a soft cloth being draped over me along with a small laugh.
Normally, I would have opened my eyes and tried to identify the person laughing in front of me.
But the fatigue was overwhelming, and I fell into a deep sleep.
I dreamed.
Like an out-of-body experience, I saw the landscape of the country from when I was emperor.
Pop!
But just as I was about to immerse myself, my vision twisted and transformed into the view of my office.
“Ariel Temple, what about it? Will they show the records?”
“Well…”
The official reporting didn’t bring the results I wanted.
“The temple is no longer under Lionel’s jurisdiction but under Randel, so they see no reason to cooperate.”
Advisor Elaila slightly bowed her head after speaking.
“They based it on the declaration of independence from our kingdom about twenty years ago.”
The temple had many reasons to be uncooperative.
“They won’t even show the records? Why are they so stubborn?”
Even polite requests were rejected, and it felt like a huge stone had dropped on my head.
“Did you make it clear that I requested it?”
I asked through gritted teeth.
“Yes.”
“Then did you tell their king?”
“We sent a cooperation request, but…”
Elaila hesitated and continued.
“The temple claims to be independent. So they cannot comply with our demands.”
She added,
“Moreover, the country where the central temple belongs is a key commercial hub… forcing them may block western trade routes.”
She stepped back after finishing her report.
“This is so complicated. I thought it would be easy.”
I nervously ate a few biscuits, frowning, and a nearby attendant refilled my tea.
“Your Highness, why must you obtain these records so badly?”
“Think about the prophecy from the Grand Temple.”
The answer lies in what was taken.
I supported my face with one hand.
“See? The only thing recently taken was the Ariel Temple.”
“There was a raid in the eastern region, though.”
The advisor tried to object indirectly, but I ignored it.
“The prophecy came right after the temple was taken in the last war.”
“But…”
Crash!
Why does nothing go as planned? I couldn’t contain my anger and smashed the plate with a fork.
“My apologies!”
The startled official bowed repeatedly.
“Still makes me angry… why not just take it back?”
I slumped in my chair.
“Absolutely not!”
Elaila strongly opposed. She had done so years ago, recently, and even last time, desperately stopping any hint of war.
“I don’t want to go this far, but there’s no other way to get it.”
I grumbled.
“Point out that they came to our seas, took all the fish, and massacred the fishermen.”
“Wasn’t that why you ordered envoys to be sent?”
Ah, right. I looked at the confused advisor.
“Now that I think about it, this isn’t something to let slide.”
“Your Highness…”
“The temple originally belonged to our kingdom, so why not take it back?”
If words don’t work, we’ll use force. I shrugged.
“You mean you’d even go to war?”
Exactly! I snapped my fingers and smiled.
“Good idea! I’ll take your advice.”
I said solemnly,
“It’s war.”
The conclusion was obvious from the start.
“When did I advise war?”
Elaila didn’t know what to do.
“Call General Roy!”
I felt my mind clear as I ordered for the general to be summoned for a military meeting.
“Your Highness! Please reconsider…”
No, I wasn’t listening this time either.
Waaahhhh!!
Thus, a new war began, and I finally got to step into the temple I had long desired.
“What do I even look for here? I told them not to touch the library!”
Although the temple wasn’t fully intact, since some orders hadn’t been followed, it was partially ruined.
“I’ll have to search while restoring it.”
Dust on my hands, I noticed movement and drew my sword.
“You…”
A child? I sheathed my sword, surprised by a boy’s sudden appearance.
“Your Highness~!”
“Your Highness! I thought something happened since you didn’t come.”
While I turned briefly at the knights’ call, the boy disappeared.
Quick little thing.
I glanced at where he had been, silently impressed.
“Did you find the records you requested?”
“You have to find the records yourselves.”
“What?”
Ridiculous. I gestured around.
“How am I supposed to find it alone?”
“Yes, understood.”
I rummaged through the scattered documents on the temple library floor with the knights.
The search continued late into the night, but unfortunately, I couldn’t find the information I wanted.
“Not here either?”
Late at night, I returned to the barracks and marked an X on the map.
“Others fight to survive, but I feel like I’m trying to die.”
No country, including today’s invaded one, had the information I needed.
“Where is the answer to the gods’ question?”
I clenched my fists and trembled.
“He said he left a record somewhere in the human world… I had a strong feeling from this prophecy.”
It was maddening. I wanted to search every temple in the world for it.
“I need some fresh air.”
Every time results turned out like this, I lost energy. I decided to take a walk nearby.
“Stop right there!”
“You’ll be punished at dawn. How dare you break in here?”
Outside the barracks was chaotic.
“See you at the execution site, thief!”
It turned out the boy I saw earlier was struggling in the guards’ hands.
“Your Highness! Sorry. He was caught stealing potatoes.”
“A few potatoes won’t kill anyone. Just give them to him and let him go.”
I thought he would have taken only a few, so I planned to give him a couple and send him off.
“Uh, well…”
“It’s not just a few potatoes.”
Apparently, the scale of the potatoes he tried to steal was… enormous.
“You tried to steal all that? By yourself?”
I gasped, seeing the size of the potato sacks.
“Yes, what should we do?”
Hmm…
I had thought him a scruffy kid, but he seemed remarkable.
“What’s your name?”
“Jeff.”
Messy, but a neat hand.
I carefully examined the child and decided to ask more precisely.
“You’re not a commoner. What’s your family name?”
After hesitating for a while, Jeff pressed his lips together. The guard nudged him.
“Answer quickly.”
Still hesitating, the boy finally looked up and said clearly:
“Jeff Heather Pickerdilly.”
